Vibrating mute



Sept. 7 1926. 1,539,166 L. J. CONJURS'KI VIBRATING MUTE Original Filed March 15. 1920 all/" l y Patented Sept. 7, 1926.

UNITED STATES 1,599,166 PATENT OFFICE.

LEONARD J. CONJUBSKI, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO FRANK J. CONJUBSKI, 0F STURGEON BAY, WISCONSIN.

VIBRATING MUTE.

Application filed March 15, 1920, Serial No. 365,731.

My invention refers broadly to new and useful improvements in attachments for stringed instruments such as violins and the like for automatically roducing a sustained vibration of the sound producing parts of the instrument.-

The primary purpose of the invention is to provide a device whereby certain sounds which heretofore have been produced manually by the players fingers may now be produced automatically and mechanically.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device which will simultaneously tend to mute the instrument and produce a sustained tremulous action of the sound producing parts.

Still another object is to provide an attachment which can be readily placed on the bridge of the instrument at the will of the player in the same manner as an ordinary mute.

With these general objects in view the 1nvention resides in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts which will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 represents an elevational view of my improved attachment showing the manner of associating the same with the bridge of a violin or similar stringed instrument, and

Figure 2 is an edge view of the device detached.

Referring more particularly to this drawing it will be seen that the attachment is designed to be applied to the bridge B of a stringed instrument, the belly of which may be designated by the character B. Specifically the device includes three parts, an attaching portion 1, a resilient plate 2 and a weighted headB. The attaching portion is in the nature of a pair of spring fingers spaced apart such a distance as to readily slide over the edge of the bridge B and frictionally engage the same on opposite sides. In width the fingers of the attaching portion 1 are of such size as to readily permit the device to be disposed between any pair of strings on the instrument as shown in Figure 1, the notches N indicating the position assumed by said strings.

The resilient plate 2 is preferably made from thin tem ered steel spring material so that by a su den movement of the violin Renewed October 25, 1924.

longitudinally it will be made to vibrate and cause the instrument to produce a tremulous tone when being played. The lower end of this plate may be secured to the attaching portion 1 in any desired manner, and likewise the weighted head 3 which, in the prescut embodiment of the invention is spherical, may be attached to the upper end of the plate in the most convenient way. Since the object of the invention is to have a device which will easily vibrate, the exact construction of the different parts of the attachment is wholly immaterial, except that the head 3 is preferably of sufficient weight to cause the plate to swing upon very slight longitudinal movement of the instrument to which it is applied.

\Vhen the attachment is arranged on the instrument as shown in Figure 1, the mo tions of the players body will cause the plate to vibrate and thus produce a sustained tremulous action of the sound producing parts in the same manner as when the player vibrates his wrist while playing. By placing the attachment between the first and second or between the third and fourth strings, tones may be produced as is obvious. Although the device will primarily produce a sustained tremulous action as mentioned, it will also have a tendency at the same time to mute the instrument in the same manner as the ordinary mute which is slipped over the bridge as is the attaching portion 1. Consequently my invention serves a double purpose.

I claim:

A mute adapted for attachment to the bridge of a stringed instrument and to project upwardlythercfrom, said mute comprising an attaching portion adapted to grip said bridge and being of less width than the distance between adjacent strings, an elongated strip of light spring metal projecting upwardly from the attaching portion, and a weight carried by the outer end of the spring strip and adapted to freely vibrate upon longitudinal motion of the instrument, whereby a tremolo effect may be produced.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin.

LEONARD J. CONJURSKI. 

